The natural population growth in Beijing is close to zero, according to the findings of a new report the Beijing Disease Control and Prevention Center released on Thursday. The report analyzes the numbers of births and deaths, as well as the health concerns of Beijing residents.
It reveals 63,498 people were born in the capital last year, while 62,767 people died. The city has a birth rate of 0.534 per cent and a death rate of 0.528 per cent, so the rate of population growth minus immigration is 731 people, or 0.06 per cent.
The report says Beijing had a population of 11.89 million in 2006 with 6 million men and 5.89 million women. The average life expectancy is 80.07 years and women live an average of 3.46 years longer than men.
The report also reveals chronic disease causes most of the deaths of city residents. Cerebrovascular diseases were the leading causes of death, followed by heart disease, malignant tumors and respiratory diseases.
